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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · can · last · row · wave · lean

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — final
  4. lie — to recline
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. can — a tin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. lean — thin
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lean — to bend
  15. last — finally
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a line

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com